All About Pocket Knives

These were used to mark numbers or letters in wood boxes, barrels, crates, beams or just about anything made of wood.

Mostly used by carpenters and around the docks in the shipping industry. They were also used to erase an existing mark or writing on wood in this case they were also referred to as "Rase" or "Raze" knives.

They made these in the fixed blade variety but these folding versions were easy to carry in the pocket and did the job just as well. Check out how the liner was cut away to allow the cutting end to fit nicely into the frame. They also made these with multiple blades. different size heads and a knife blade as the secondary. Some will also be found with all brass handles, these were for use around water.

Got any? Show them here

Here are the three that I own:

The brass handled one is a Hammer Brand New York Knife Co
The wooden handled one is marked Corsepius N.V. (no info ever found)and has an unusual tapered back spring so that the hook will fit totally inside the handles without using a slot cut into the side.
The last one is most unusual:It is unmarked and has a double fixed cutting head with the point serving as a pivot to cut circle elements of letters and a single sided folding blade.
The other knives in the pic are a shoemanker's knife(red handle)and the bottom one(Pigsniker)houses a double edged razor blade supposedly to mark pig's ears by notching.

Miller Bro's.
I only have the is a Camillus.It is abit later model than yours

Great stuff, guys!

What era are these from?

.... Joe

Nice one guys

Joe Dirt wrote:What era are these from?

The Camillus is pre 1946 and the N.Y. knife is from the 1920`s

Here's a pic of the back spring.

Here is a heavy cast brass scribe made for use around a seaport and on board a ship.

I've got one of the NYK Co. Walden scribes, looks like it might be stamped differently than Miller's.

nice one thanks for showing it

1967redrider wrote:looks like it might be stamped differently than Miller's.

Same stamp as mine, on my example someone stamped their name onto the blade and it ran down into the tang stamp a little

Bad picture but the best I can do for now.

Nice scribes everyone. Here's a Wostenholm to add.

Pardon my ignorance, this is something that I've never been exposed to nor have I ever seen any of these.

They are awesome, thanks for showing. This site continues to educate me.

smiling-knife wrote:Nice scribes everyone. Here's a Wostenholm to add.

A beautiful scribe Steve!

Stag handles and grooved nickle bolsters, that one has real class.

DR_MAGOO wrote:Pardon my ignorance, this is something that I've never been exposed to nor have I ever seen any of these.

They are awesome, thanks for showing. This site continues to educate me.

Thanks for looking and your comments.

The fun of collecting is learning and seeing something new to you, IMO

The fun of collecting is learning and seeing something new to you, IMO [/quote]

Couldn't agree more.

Here's the timber scribe I just got... my first one. It's marked ULSTER KNIFE CO.

I think it's rather unusual to find one with a sheath. There is no belt loop on the sheath so I assume it was a way to make it easier to carry in your pocket, as the shape of the knife itself would make it awkward to carry without it.

Dennis

Very nice, first one I have seen in a sheath

Miller Bro`s wrote:Very nice, first one I have seen in a sheath

I agree, cool sheath, first one I've seen too.

Here is a really old scribe.

Beautiful stag handles and square joint construction, it snaps like a bear trap!

Just got my first tree scribe.
New York Knife Co. Hammer Brand.

Nice looking scribe, Greg. The blade looks quite stout.
Looks like you would want to sharpen the inside edge of the cutter with a slip stone.

Thanks Joe. It is avery sturdy knife. I am not familiar with a slip stone is it similar to a round file?

Looks really clean Greg, nice find

Greg, slipstones come in various shapes and grits. Used for small work.
I have never sharpened a timber scribe, but I reasoned that the inside of the cutter would be the place to sharpen one.
As with a chisel, bevel up. But I could be all wrong on that.
Again, a beauty of a knife.

Picked up this nice old Sheffield stag timber scribe, really nice condition for its age.

John nice to see this thread come to the top again after two years!

Outstanding old knife, love the stag